State v. Harris
State v. Harris
Opinion of the Court
This cause is brought to this court by appeal on the part of the defendant from a judgment of the Dunklin Circuit Court, convicting the defendant of the crime of rape.
On October 5, 1905-, W. R. Hall, the then prosecuting attorney of Dunklin county, filed in the circuit court of said county an information charging defendant with the crime of rape, on one Rosa Harris, alleged to be the daughter of defendant. The record further discloses that a capias was thereafter issued, defendant was arrested, and on December 1, 1905, waived formal arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty. On December 2, 1905, defendant was tried for said crime and by a jury was found guilty, and his punishment assessed at twenty years’ imprisonment in the State penitentiary. On December 7, 1905, defendant filed a motion for new trial, and said motion was overruled on November 28, 1906. On November 28, 1906,
With these disclosures of the record it is unnecessary to make a statement of the evidence developed upon the trial, for the reason that in the absence of an order of record showing an arraignment of the appellant upon the information upon which he was tried, the judgment of the.circuit court must be reversed.
We have carefully examined in detail the disclosures of the record as presented in this court, and we are unable to find anywhere in such record where the defendant was arraigned upon the charge preferred against him.
With commendable frankness on the part of the Attorney-General it is conceded that there is no escape from a reversal of the judgment rendered in this cause.
In the recent case of State v. Vaughn, 223 Mo. 149, it was expressly ruled by this court, in harmony with the long line of decisions in this State upon this subject, that it is essential in order to sustain a judgment that the record must show an arraignment upon the charge preferred and the entering of a plea to such charge.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- State v. W. J. HARRIS
- Status
- Published